Swiss Made is not marketing language. It is a legally protected designation, and a watch may only carry it if it meets conditions set out in Swiss law.
The short answer
For a wristwatch to be called Swiss Made, four things must be true: the movement is Swiss, the movement is cased up in Switzerland, the manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland, and at least 60 per cent of the manufacturing costs are generated in Switzerland.
What makes a movement Swiss
A movement counts as Swiss when it is assembled in Switzerland, inspected by the manufacturer in Switzerland, and at least 60 per cent of its component value is of Swiss manufacture.
What changed in 2017
The rules were tightened on 1 January 2017, under the revision known as Swissness. The reform raised the thresholds and brought the watch as a whole, not only its movement, into the calculation. A watch that qualified as Swiss Made in 2015 would not automatically qualify today.
What Swiss Made does not tell you
It is a floor, not a ranking. It says nothing about how a watch is finished, whether it was assembled by hand, how long it will last, or what it ought to cost. Two watches can both be Swiss Made and be very different objects.
The more useful questions are about the watch in front of you: which movement is inside it, what the case and crystal are made of, and who assembled it.
Where Claude Bernard sits
Claude Bernard has been owned by the Strambini family since 1973. Every watch is hand-assembled by qualified watchmakers in the company's own atelier in Les Genevez, a village of roughly five hundred people in the canton of Jura.
Common questions
Is Swiss Made the same as Swiss movement?
No. Swiss movement refers only to the movement. A watch can carry a Swiss movement and still fail the Swiss Made test.
Does Swiss Made mean the watch was made entirely in Switzerland?
No. The law sets a 60 per cent cost threshold, not 100 per cent.
Is Swiss Made legally enforceable?
Yes. It is protected under Swiss legislation, and misuse can be challenged in court.
Do quartz watches qualify?
Yes. The designation applies to quartz and mechanical watches alike, provided the conditions are met.